From across the pond, more praise for Lin

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Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, now two former teammates of Jeremy Lin, said they are going to miss their former teammate who became a Houston Rocket on Tuesday.

“I know the Knicks organization wanted him back, I know his teammates wanted him back, I felt like Jeremy wanted to come back, but can’t pass up what Houston threw out there,” Chandler told the Associated Press in Manchester, England, where he is working out with the U.S. Olympic team.

“Houston threw something in the game that was kind of crazy,” Anthony said of the Rockets’ restructured offer sheet that would have cost the Knicks nearly $30 million in the third year of the deal in salary and luxury tax.

Even former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni was surprised Lin didn’t stay a Knick.

“Not when the kicker was they can match. I’m thinking, for sure,” said former Knicks coach D’Antoni on Wednesday before the U.S. Olympic team practiced. “Even when I was there, well at least we got him, we don’t have to worry about him blowing up and us not being able to afford it.”

D’Antoni, who gave Lin a chance to play in February, resigned a month and a half later when the Knicks were struggling. He remains a firm believer in the undrafted point guard from Harvard.

Kobe Bryant had no choice but to become one after Lin scored a career-high 38 points, outplaying one of the NBA’s biggest stars during a nationally televised victory over the Lakers.

“The plays that he was making, it didn’t seem like he had too much of a difficulty making them. He seemed like he was pretty comfortable in making those plays and he was pretty consistent afterwards,” Bryant told the AP. “His numbers weren’t 30 and 15 assists or whatever, but they were more than solid numbers. He can play, he’s a very good player.”

“I mean, I don’t think nobody really has an idea what his ceiling is,” Anthony said. “What he was able to do for that little stretch that he played before he got hurt, he was at the all-time high, from a game standpoint doing what he was able to do, averaging 20 something-plus points, almost 10 assists. I’m ready to see what’s next.”

“First of all, I think that’s not fair to anybody, I think especially not to Jeremy,” he said. “For 20 games he was one of the best in the league and he was dominating from the headlines to even on the basketball court. So you can’t discount that he’ll never be able to do it, because not only did he do it, he did it at the highest level possible.

“So I’m happy for him, I think it’s a great contract for him and Houston could find themselves a very, very, very good basketball player. At least he’s going to be a good player. The guy’s got quickness and determination, so he’s going to be good. Now it depends on what level, nobody knows that, but I wouldn’t bet against him.”